Canada’s Leading Business Organizations Call on Government to Protect Jobs and Postpone Non-Essential New Measures

OTTAWA, March 25, 2020 – Over 60 of Canada’s leading business organizations are calling on governments to support a national effort to protect jobs and to postpone non-essential new measures.

“Canadian businesses are ready and able to step up to overcome the challenge of COVID-19. We will work to ensure that Canadians have the food to feed their families, the fuel to heat our homes and to keep essential services moving, the equipment and facilities to treat the sick and the communications systems that unite us even as we are kept apart from one another.

To win this fight, we need every possible human and financial resource and we must be able to focus all of our attention on this struggle. The proposed 10 per cent wage subsidy for small businesses was a step in the right direction by the government. But more needs to be done to help businesses and workers through this crisis and maintain the connection between employers and employees.

We call on governments to provide more direct funding for employees. Other countries have recognized this need and are offering to cover as much as 80 per cent of the incomes of workers who are laid off as a result of the health emergency. We encourage the government to backstop the economy by implementing income supports at similar levels as Denmark and the United Kingdom.

We also ask governments at all levels to support our efforts by postponing any increases in taxes, non-essential new regulations, and unnecessary consultations that take us away from this mission. Businesses and governments need to be focused 100 per cent on the current crisis, leaving other priorities aside until the crisis abates.

We thank Canada’s governments for their efforts to mobilize Canadian society to win this fight. The business community is ready to meet the challenges we will face in the coming weeks and months. For the first time in decades, the entire country and the entire world is focused on one problem. Governments and the business community must collaborate in new and innovative ways to support Canadian families while we try to solve it.”

Joint statement made by:

Alberta Cannabis Council

Alberta Chambers of Commerce

Aluminum Association of Canada

Associated Equipment Distributors

Association of Consulting Engineering Companies | Canada

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers Canada

Atlantic Chamber of Commerce

BC Chamber of Commerce

Beer Canada

Business Council of Canada

Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums

Canadian Airports Council

Canadian Business Aviation Association

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Canadian Construction Association

Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business

Canadian Craft Brewers Association

Canadian Energy Pipeline Association

Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Canadian Franchise Association

Canadian Fuels Association

Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association

Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association

Canadian Live Music Association

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

Canadian Produce Marketing Association

Canadian Propane Association

Canadian Society of Association Executives

Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association

Cannabis Council of Canada

Chamber of Marine Commerce

Chamber of Shipping

Chemistry Industry Association of Canada

Colleges Institutes Canada

Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation

Consumer Health Products Canada

Convention Centres of Canada

Economic Developers Association of Canada

Electro Federation Canada

Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec

Fertilizer Canada

Food & Consumer Products of Canada

Food Processors of Canada

Forest Products Association of Canada

Freight Management Association of Canada

Frontier Duty Free Association

Hotel Association of Canada

Innovative Medicines Canada

Institute of Communication Agencies

Manitoba Chambers of Commerce

Meetings Mean Business Canada

Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce

Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Petroleum Services Association of Canada

Responsible Distribution Canada

Retail Council of Canada

Supply Chain Canada

TECHNATIONca

The Explorers and Producers Association of Canada

The Mining Association of Canada

Tourism Industry Association of Canada

Wine Growers Canada

Young Presidents Organization

Yukon Chamber of Commerce